My 87 dakota blew the drainplug out of the radiator and it got pretty hot well smokin hott but it was still running good when i shut the engine off,Do you think i damaged anything and what do i need to watch for..Thank's

 

Watch for oil in the water and vice-versa. That would be a bad thing, indicating blown head gasket or warped head(s). I got away with this, about 6 months ago, with my Shelby Dakota. The V-6 could also be as stout. I'm not too sure about the 4 cylinder engine. I think 4-bangers are more susceptible to gasket leakage.

If it is running okay, you probably dodged the bullet (no pun intended). Keep an eye on fluid levels, and watch for contaminated fluids.

Larry

 

Thank's mine is the 3.9 v6 almost new jasper long block 20,000 miles..I probably drove a total of 5 miles before i noticed the problem..There was no steam because all my fluid blew out the drain plug..I have my fingers crossed..

 

i over heated my 3.9 bad when it blew a radiator hose and i did not know(always watch your gauges when you are doing donuts and banging the rev limiter for a long time!) and it did not hurt mine. i over heat my little escort at least once a week and it still runs and gets 35 mpg, with 227000 miles on it!. but the v6 in the dakota had 180,500 miles on it when it was pulled, and still ran like a dream.

 

Yeah, at worst you could have warped the heads. With as short of an interval as you drove it, probably did nothing but scare the crap out of you. The engine should have been able to absorb that much heat without a problem. Specific signs to look for are heavy water drainage out the tailpipe that smells of antifreeze, or white residue on the dipstick. Both are tell-tale signs of a blown head gasket or warped head.

 

Great news sounds like the 3.9 is pretty tough,The only reason i woould hate to have damaged anything it's a new engine with low miles that woulda been a heartbreaker..Jasper seems to remanufacture these engines pretty good mine has lots of power..

 

Before you take any chances take the time and do two (2) things first. (1) Loosen your belts and see if you can turn the crank with a large enough socket by hand. That will free your mind that its locked up after cooling down(2) Do a compression check some times you can blow the gasket between the cylinders.